Lab Report: What Do We Know Now?

Thirty Years of Running Lessons

The approach to cross-training has totally changed over the past 30 years. Back in 1977, runners were runners, and it was the rare runner indeed who did anything more than run, stretch, and perhaps lift weights. In 2007, we know that swimming, cycling, elliptical training and other forms of aerobic training are great ways to improve overall cardiovascular fitness with less risk of injury than cranking up your running mileage. In addition, core stability training helps runners maintain good technique and avoid injury.

Training based on intensity zones

In the mid-70s, a huge void existed between long slow distance and fast intervals. Today, we train in several intensity zones with specific purposes to optimize race preparation and enhance recovery, and many runners use heart monitors to ensure they maintain the optimal effort during each workout.

During the next decade, renowned exercise physiologist and coach, Jack Daniels, and others verified the benefits of tempo workouts to improve lactate threshold pace, which is the best physiological predictor of distance running performance. Tempo runs are now a staple component of training, and heart monitors help ensure that you stay in the optimal intensity zone.

Recovery is as important as hard training

Thirty years ago, runners tended to string together as many hard days in a row as possible before their bodies made them take an easy day. These days, we understand that optimal adaptation only occurs with the correct balance of hard training and recovery. It takes discipline to go easy when you feel good on a planned recovery day, and using a heart monitor provides objective data so you stay in the optimal zone. Including a recovery week after every three to five weeks of training allows your body to adapt to the key workouts you put in during your hard weeks, and helps prevent overtraining (which is really under-recovery).

Carbohydrates and fluid

Thirty years ago, most of us only drank water during training and races. I can even remember being given salt tablets (well, OK, that was closer to 35 years ago) to prevent cramps. Today, we understand the performance benefits of preventing both dehydration and glycogen depletion. A wide variety of products are now available to help us stay well-hydrated, to avoid carbohydrate depletion and to rebuild glycogen stores quickly after training.

A new prescription for stretching

In the 70s, we knew stretching could be good for you, but made the mistake of stretching cold, or doing prolonged stretches before racing which has now been shown to temporarily weaken muscles. Now we know that stretching is safer and more effective after a light warm-up, and to hold stretches for no more than five to 10 seconds before racing.

Women runners can beat the men

The most dramatic change over the past 30 years is that back then women represented less than 25 percent of the running population. In the 1970s, although the number of women runners was growing exponentially, no one knew what the female body could (or should be asked to) tolerate, and there were no generally accepted training regimens for women. In 2007, we know that women can train at the same relative intensity as men, and that some women can outrun almost all of the men.